Free Web NovelChapter 459: Chapter 59: Partners in Crime
At Luyetan’s words, Westheid remembered he still had a promise to keep from his time at Yuanxi Palace.
He had promised to use the Thousand Laws Ceremony to purify her Enchanter Bloodline. At first, it was just an empty promise, a ploy to secure more aid from the Yuanxi Territory and bind them securely to his cause.
But as everyone knew, Duke Qinghui was a man of his word; he had never failed to keep a promise. And now, purifying Luyetan’s bloodline would be exceptionally easy for him.
"Come to the Wind Law Palace again later. Xiao Ai and I will help you purify your bloodline. Mmm... given the current situation, I doubt even Emperor Qianlu himself would have any objections."
Westheid nodded. He exchanged a look of understanding with Ailorus before speaking.
Luyetan stood up solemnly, lifting the hem of her skirt in a curtsy.
"Then I must thank you, Duke Qinghui, and you, Her Majesty the Queen."
With Luyetan’s issue providing a distraction, the explosive tension from moments before fizzled out. Both Reiya and Ailorus were, after all, rather reasonable... or perhaps, simply calculating. Once their initial impulse passed, they understood this was not a scene Westheid wished to see.
’It’s fine. There will be plenty of opportunities later.’
Ailorus secretly clenched her fists, still fixated on the position of his main consort. As an Elf, she had decades, even centuries, to bide her time.
The Silver-haired Princess, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about such tedious matters. Her eyes were only for Westheid and his grand ambitions. The White-haired Dragon Lady took a sip of her sparkling drink and looked at Westheid.
"Once the post-war reconstruction is on track, we won’t be staying in the Thousand Laws Royal Court for long. The Imperial situation has more or less stabilized, but we still need to prepare for the future, right?"
Her words reminded Westheid of what he had told her before: the Dragon Race, once exiled by the Empire, might return in force.
This was the calamity known as the [Return of the Dragons], which the Poem of Destiny had foretold for the Empire. The Radiant Holy Tree Empire was truly something else in this lifetime. How could a Realm of Order possibly be "blessed" with two calamities? What incredible fortune.
However, with the landscape of the Mortal World so drastically altered, Westheid wasn’t certain this foretold "calamity" would still come to pass. Ultimately, it wasn’t a fated event. The Dragon Race were not minions of Chaos, advancing and retreating in lockstep with the offensive of the Chaos Hundred Forms.
"...You’re right, it’s time to head back. We’ve been in the Royal Court for so long that work has surely piled up. Besides... we must prepare for the future."
Westheid agreed after a moment of thought.
Whether the Dragon Group returned or not, Duke Qinghui had to take precautions. The Mortal World was no longer as turbulent as it had been, thanks to the repeated sweeps by the Knight Expeditionary Army and the Qinghui Legion. Building up defenses in advance would be a worthwhile investment.
"Then I’m going with you!"
Ailorus declared, picking up a cup of Fruit Wine and downing it in several large gulps.
"Your Majesty..."
Before the queen’s attendants could speak, Westheid cut them off.
"I think that’s a fine idea. If the Royal Court is to accelerate its reconstruction, interaction with the outside world is essential. I believe inviting Xiao Ai to the Qinghui Territory will help deepen the cooperation between our two lands for our mutual benefit. It would be best if she could stay for a period of time. Once we establish a stable, two-way Teleportation Gate, security will no longer be an issue."
"Or are you saying... that visits between a betrothed couple should be restricted? Hmm?"
Faticia and the others trembled, lowering their heads.
"O-Of course not..."
Had Eilvette and the other Tuners still been present, they would never have allowed such a violation of ancestral tradition. But after the great purge, no one was left who would dare to boss around the Wind Law Queen or Duke Qinghui. The remaining ministers were more docile than the last, capable only of sycophantic flattery.
Reiya looked at her lover. "West, what do you think?"
"Of course I have no problem with it. In fact... I insist that Xiao Ai come to the Qinghui Territory."
Westheid said with unwavering resolve.
In theory, the King of Wind Law could not leave the Land of Rhythm, as the Ten Thousand Wind Melodies were strongly linked to the Thousand Laws Ceremony. If she left the Ceremony’s sphere of influence, the power of the King of Wind Law would plummet! It would drop like a stone!
The problem was, the Thousand Laws Ceremony was about to be transplanted to the Purity Forest. Thus, by all logic, Ailorus had to come to the Qinghui Territory. This was both to ensure she remained within the Ceremony’s sphere of influence and to utilize the Wind Law Queen’s power for the transplantation itself.
And so, with everyone in unanimous agreement, the matter was settled amicably.
After lunch, Luyetan stayed behind for her bloodline purification. For the two wielders of the Wind Law, who held the highest authority over the Ceremony, purging a faint yet tenacious trace of the Enchanter Bloodline was a trivial matter.
The fundamental reason previous Yuanxi Lords had never been able to fulfill this wish was Emperor Qianlu. Forget about convincing the King of Wind Law to help; doing such a thing right under the Celestial God’s nose was tantamount to asking, ’Are you perhaps displeased with our Divine Ancestor?’
Since the bloodline was a gift from the Divine Ancestor, only the Divine Ancestor could alter it!
If not for the arrival of an age of strife that had greatly weakened the Celestial God’s influence, and if the current Wind Law Queen had not been so passionately in love with Duke Qinghui, Luyetan might have gone her entire life without fulfilling this generations-old wish of her clan.
With this great problem solved, a contented Luyetan departed. She was eager to return to the Yuanxi Territory and report the good news to her ancestors through offerings. The Yuanxi Territory’s contributions to the recent reclamation efforts were, proportionally, no less than those of the Qinghui Territory. Now that she had received her reward, it was time for the Yuanxi Lord to take her leave.
